Visit Waikato, New Zealand

The Waikato is a region blessed with two landscapes to discover — one above ground, and one below.

Fed by the mighty Waikato River the land is rich and fertile, and the surrounding towns prosperous.

Exploring Waitomo

Orderly, pastoral scenes unfold around every corner, and the main center, Hamilton, stretches gently along the river banks. Within the city more than 58 hectares are dedicated to gardens.

Divided into five collections, these planted areas reflect the relationship between people and plants, one that dates back to pre-European Māori life, when kumara and other crops were planted along the banks of the river.

In the 1830s the missionaries introduced European crops and farming methods, leading to the current agricultural basis of the local community. Below the earth a wonderland of water and limestone beckons for more adventurous exploration.